So you’re to be confined to 250 square feet, which you’re sharing with a stranger, but that’s not an excuse to skimp on a well-dressed dorm space (case in point: Ikea’s compact in-store model rooms). With just a few accessories and a theme — in this case, red, black and white — you can have cool, comfortable quarters that also are functional.

Many of these small-space finds translate to an apartment, too, which means you’ll have plenty of stylish stuff for future lodgings.

Just be sure to shop smart: no excess. It’s a solid college motto to practice, in all aspects.

Scroll through the slide show above for dorm goods with dash from Dallas shops

Southwest splurge: The Miac Crossroads wool dhurrie, designed in collaboration with the Santa Fe Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, is inspired by early 20th-century textiles in the museum’s permanent collection. $349 for a 5-by-8-foot rug. West Elm, Dallas.

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